Lotta Schelin

Lotta Schelin

Personal information
Full name	Charlotta Eva Schelin
Date of birth	February 27, 1984 (1984-02-27) (age 27)
Place of birth	Trångsund, Sweden
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker, Winger
Club information
Current club	Lyon
Number	8
Youth career
1997–2003	FC Hevesen
1997–2001	Mölnlycke IF
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2008	Göteborg	154	(116)
2008–	Lyon	43	(37)
National team‡
2004–	Sweden	95	(40)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 April 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 September 2011

Schelin receiving Diamantbollen in November 2006.

Charlotta Eva Schelin (born 27 February 1984), usually referred to as Lotta Schelin, is a Swedish football player who currently plays for Olympique Lyonnais of the Division 1 Féminine. She plays as a striker and is a member of the Sweden women's national team, having made her debut in 2004.

Schelin's height, strength, and offensive technique has led to former Denmark women's national team manager Peter Bonde comparing her to fellow Swede Zlatan Ibrahimović.^[1] She credits her older sister and former teammate, Camilla Schelin, as well as Tina Nordlund, as important role models for her.

Biography

Early career

Schelin grew up in Kållered outside Gothenburg and began to play football for Kållereds SK along with her sister, Camilla.^[2] She has also played for Mölnlycke IF. Schelin was also adept at such sports as table-tennis, track and field, and snowboarding before opting to focus on football full-time. As a teenager, she developed problems with her spine and was advised to stop playing the sport. Schelin went through intensive strength training and recovered by the time she turned 17.^[3]

Club career

In 2001, when she was 17 years old, Schelin made her debut in the Damallsvenskan for Landvetter FC, now known as Göteborg FC. She played in over 100 league matches with the club establishing herself as one of the club's most prominent players. After an injury in August 2002, she was out of the league for almost a year and a half returning in June 2003. In 2004 Schelin was named Breakthrough Player of the Year after netting 14 goals in 15 games for Göteborg FC.^[4]

Despite offers from other Damallsvenskan clubs, Schelin opted to stay in her hometown. After the re-branding and re-launch of the new United States-based league, Women's Professional Soccer, Schelin declared that she would be interested in playing in the league. However, after the 2008 Summer Olympics, Schelin announced that she would be joining Division 1 Féminine club Olympique Lyonnais in France. Upon signing her contract, it was speculated that Schelin would be earning over 1 million kr ($160,000 USD) per year.^[5] On 24 September 2008, Schelin was drafted by the Saint Louis Athletica in the 2008 WPS International Draft. She later declined the chance to join the club citing her contract with Lyon as the primary reason.^[6]

International career

Schelin made her national team debut for Sweden on 16 March 2004; a 3–0 Algarve Cup defeat to France.^[7] She later represented her nation at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The following year, Schelin endured injuries to the groin and hamstring, which required extensive rest.

In 2006, Schelin was a key player in the 2006 edition of the Algarve Cup; leading Sweden to a respectable third-place finish. She scored the only goal in the bronze medal victory over France. For her efforts, Schelin was awarded the Diamond Ball as the country's best female football player. That same year, she was named the Forward of the Year in the Damallsvenskan. Schelin's success made her a huge face in her country and she was rewarded when she was selected to attend the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup draw in China on behalf of Sweden.

Awards/Honours

Individual

• 95 Caps for Sweden National Team
• 40 Goals for Sweden
• 2004: Sweden Breakthrough Player of the Year
• 2006: Diamond Ball Winner, Forward of the Year, Won the Swedish Premier Division, MVP of Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC.
• 2007: Played in FIFA Women's World Cup
• 2007: Most goals scored in Damallsvenskan: 26
• 2008: Played in 2008 Summer Olympics
• 2011: Diamond Ball Winner, Forward of the Year

Club

Lyon

• Division 1 Féminine (3): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
• UEFA Women's Champions League (1): 2010–11

References

1. ^ Pär Andersson. "'Kvinnliga Zlatan sänkte Djurgården'". gt.se. http://www.gt.se/sport/fotboll/1.705548. Retrieved 2008-08-28. 
2. ^ Fleischmann, Björn (2005-02-10). "Göteborgs stora stjärnspelare stannar kvar på hemmaplan!" (in Swedish). svenskdamfotboll.se. Svensk Damfotboll. http://www.svenskdamfotboll.se/index_new.php?news_id=67&start=0&category_id=&parent_id=0&arcyear=2005&arcmonth=2. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
3. ^ Jennifer Wegerup (2005-06-02). "Hon skulle sluta - som 15-åring" (in Swedish). AftonBladet.se. http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/sverige/damallsvenskan/article10606358.ab. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
4. ^ "Lotta Schelin". Sports Illustrated. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/olympics/2008/athletes/bio/245148.html. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 
5. ^ Ulf Niklasson. "'Lotta Schelin klar för Lyon'". gp.se. http://gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=128&a=440010. Retrieved 2008-08-27. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "'2008 WPS Initial International Draft Results'". http://www.womensprosoccer.com/newsitem_ektid5106.aspx. 
7. ^ "Athletes > Lotta Schelin > Bio". NBC Universal. http://www.2008.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=993/bio/index.html. Retrieved 2011-09-11. 

External links

http://lottaschelinmagic8.tumblr.com/

• National Team Profile
• Club Profile
• Olympic Profile

Persondata
Name	Schelin, Lotta
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	27 February 1984
Place of birth	Trångsund, Sweden
Date of death
Place of death